Legendary fictions of the Irish Celts

62 Fictions of the Irish Celts.
was up, and prepared to be off. " Here," said he to
__ her, " is a thing which may be of use to you. It's a
\/^ scissorSj^and whatever stuff you cut with it will be turned
into rich silk. The moment the sun rises, I'll lose all
memory of yourself and the children, but I'll get it at
sunset again ; farewell." But he wasn't far gone till she
was in sight of him again, leaving her boy behind. It
was the same to-day as yesterday : their shadows went
before them in the morning, and followed them in the
evening. He never stopped, and she never stopped, and
as the sun was setting, he turned up another lane, and
there they found their little daughter. It was all joy
and comfort again till morning, and then the third day's
journey commenced.
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But before he started, he gave her comb^ and told
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her that whenever she used it, pearls ' and ^diamonds
would fall from her hair, Still he had his full memory
from sunset to sunrise ; but from sunrise to sunset he
travelled on under the charm, and never threw his eye
behind. This night they came to where the youngest
baby was, and the next morning, just before sunrise, the
prince spoke to her for the last time. " Here, my poor
wife," said he, " is a little hand-reel, with gold thread
that has no end, and the half of our marriage ring. If
you can ever get to my bed, and put your half ring to
mine, I will recollect you. There is a wood yonder, and
the moment I enter it, I will forget everything that ever
happened between us, just as if I was born yesterday.
Farewell, dear wife and child, for ever." Just then the
sun rose, and away he walked towards the wood. She
saw it open before him, and close after him, and when
she came up, she could no more get in than she could
break through a stone wall. She wrung her hands, and
shed tears, but then she recollected herself, and cried
out, " Wood, I charge you by my three magic gifts—the
scissors, the comb, and the reel—to let me through "
; and
it opened, and she went along a Avalk till she came in
sight of a palace, and a lawn, and a woodman's cot-